Ten illegal miners remanded in custody

The Sekondi High Court has remanded into police custody  five Chinese and five Ghanaian illegal miners who were detained last Friday.

The pleas of the 10 illegal miners were not taken and they are to reappear in court on 10 April.

This is because the magistrate court has no jurisdiction over the matter and cannot award the required punishment in case they are proven guilty.

Madam Susanna Eduful, the Sekondi Magistrate judge, explained that the court could not sit on the matter and transferred the case to the circuit court in Takoradi.

Earlier Francisca Nyarko, the prosecutor, prayed the court to transfer the case involving the alleged illegal miners to a higher court with jurisprudence to hear the matter.

Meanwhile, lawyer Stephen Alewebe, counsel for the alleged illegal miners, accepted the proposal of the magistrate court to transfer the case.

He said it is has intension to get a fair hearing of the matter and to ensure that justice was carried out in the interest of the law.

The Chinese nationals were spotted mining in the River Ankobra in two communities, Bamiankor and Duwale, in the Western Region.

The Chinese suspects included Dong Cheng, 30, Hung Jian, 51, Ning Guorui, 42, Yin Biquiang, 46, Li Zilong, 44. 

While the five other suspects are Eric Owusu, 28, Kwabena Adjei, 50, Nana Adu, 42, Kwasi Owusu, 28 and Kofi Darko, 21. 

The police also seized mining equipment used for the operations.

Investigations revealed that whilst some Chinese nationals are engaged in the illegal mining activities, others are involved in the renting out of equipment for the nefarious act.

The suspects were put before the Sekondi High Court and were remanded accordingly.

Source: GNA